Mazda Talk Forums

Hello! I am looking at getting my new-to-me 2008 GT aligned. It was a salvage car and all of the lower rear suspension was bent from a forklift, so all 3 lower arms on each side are brand new. I am running 225/45/17 Pilot Sport 4 A/S's on +40 offset wheels.

I am trying to figure the maximum negative camber recommended on a car for mainly daily/spirited driving, occasional track and autocross in the future. I understand that negative camber causes premature inner tire wear, however I am looking to fit these tires with the minimum amount of modification required. I will have the ride height around 12.75-13.

I don't want to be burning through tires, but I understand and am alright with slight wear from negative camber if it's not cutting my tire life in half.

I appreciate any info/help!

Nobody can answer this but YOU. The reason is that it's all about each driver's particular use of the car. I have full track/autocross alignment on all my toys with ZERO camber wear issues in day to day use. But I drive harder than 99 percent of drivers out there, sliding around the freeway on and off ramps is my idea of fun between weekends of autocross and track. In my experience most folks with my level of camber do have wear issues, but not everyone. So it always comes back to how hard YOU drive the car in the turns vs how much of the time it is just going straight down the freeway.

Pretty typical aggressive street:
Camber: 1.8F 1.5R
Toe: 0 front, slight toe in rear
Caster factory.

My typical:
Camber: 3.0F 2.5 R
Toe: out front, slight toe in rear
Caster 6.5

Brian wrote:Nobody can answer this but YOU. The reason is that it's all about each driver's particular use of the car. I have full track/autocross alignment on all my toys with ZERO camber wear issues in day to day use. But I drive harder than 99 percent of drivers out there, sliding around the freeway on and off ramps is my idea of fun between weekends of autocross and track. In my experience most folks with my level of camber do have wear issues, but not everyone. So it always comes back to how hard YOU drive the car in the turns vs how much of the time it is just going straight down the freeway.

Pretty typical aggressive street:
Camber: 1.8F 1.5R
Toe: 0 front, slight toe in rear
Caster factory.

My typical:
Camber: 3.0F 2.5 R
Toe: out front, slight toe in rear
Caster 6.5

I seriously appreciate the detailed reply.

Forgive my ignorance on the subject, but it sounds like the harder you drive, the less wear issues you have compared to someone driving mainly straight down the freeway?

As for how I drive, it won't be insanely hard, but it also won't be primarily freeway(or anywhere near primarily freeway). It is going to be 99% squirley backroads.

From my few hours of research and talking to a number of people, I am looking somewhere between the two you posted

Camber: 2.0-2.5F, 1.8-2.2R or thereabouts.
Toe: 0 front, 1/16 total toe in rear
Caster: unknown.

Once again, thanks for the info. It means a lot coming from you!

Yes indeed, the harder you drive it, the more you even up the wear despite aggressive settings for camber. To put that another way, aggressive driving is using the aggressive camber and boring straight freeway driving is riding the inside edge of the tire and that will cause adverse wear for those not pushing the car hard enough elsewhere to even it up. Thus there is always a balance to be struck depending on the particular driver's balance of freeway vs curves, and I think you are on the right path with trying a compromise of settings.

Brian wrote:Yes indeed, the harder you drive it, the more you even up the wear despite aggressive settings for camber. To put that another way, aggressive driving is using the aggressive camber and boring straight freeway driving is riding the inside edge of the tire and that will cause adverse wear for those not pushing the car hard enough elsewhere to even it up. Thus there is always a balance to be struck depending on the particular driver's balance of freeway vs curves, and I think you are on the right path with trying a compromise of settings.

Sounds good to me. I will figure out Caster and go with the settings I mentioned. Worst case if I see premature wear, I will get it realigned with less aggressive camber. Shouldn't be that big of a deal.

Thanks!!